Broken & Beautiful
by LiLcrueLangeL
Summary: Getting over Dean was no easy task for Emma. What happens when he suddenly appears in her life again? Does Dean have what it takes to get her back? Please R&R!
1. What are you doing here?

Disclaimer: Don't own it, any of it…. obviously. If I did, would I have time to be here right now? Yeah I think not…

Hey guys! I hope you like this one! Just my own little spin-off… Please read and review!!! I really appreciate them!!! Constructive criticism is okay with me, as long as it's CONSTRUCTIVE. I can't get any better if you don't tell me what I should work on. Please enjoy!!!

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Leaning over a small dirty bar table in the corner of the bar, she wiped her soapy rag over it, the hot water stinging her palm. A few beads of sweat gathered at the top of her brow as she straightened up looking at the table with satisfaction as it was about as clean as she had ever seen the worn out thing. Tossing the rag back into hot sudsy bucket, she tucked a piece of her chocolate colored hair behind her ear before putting the chairs upside down on the table. She sighed heavily to herself as she then picked the bucket back up and turned to look around the perimeter of the bar. She was the only one left, all the bar flies gone for the night and the place looked empty without a single soul. As she moved to her next table, she picked up a few singles that were left for her tip before shoving them in her black apron's pocket. Just as she began the tedious process of wiping down yet another table, she heard the entrance door creak open and the bells above jingle, alerting the staff to an incoming costumer. _Damn, I forgot to lock the door._ She thought to herself quickly. Without even turning around, she sighed.

"We're closed for the night… we open again tomorrow at three." She said flatly, her brown eyes fixed on the table before her.

"Not even a beer for an old friend?" A memorable deep voice called from the doorway.

She whirled around, not believing her ears. She suddenly felt dizzy with emotion as her eyes fell upon the face that had been haunting her for so long. "Dean?" She said taking a long hard look at him. Furrowing her eyebrows, she leaned back against the table she had been cleaning. "It's been a long time." She said after a pause.

"Five years if I remember right." He said, stepping a little further into the bar but hesitating ever so slightly, before moving any closer.

"Yeah…almost six now." She snapped, turning back around to finish wiping down the table.

"You're not glad to see me huh?" He questioned in a smart-ass tone, shoving his hands into his leather jacket pockets before striding over to the table she was cleaning.

"You really want me to answer that?" She sneered, not looking at him. "The last time I saw you, was the night we sat on the dock and talked until three in the morning." She stated. "Then I woke up in bed alone the next morning with a note taped to my damn bedroom mirror, and you never even called me."

"Emma, I'm so sorry about that..." He replied uneasily, running a hand through his sandy brown hair. "I…uh-"

"You what… Lost your phone? Was kidnapped and couldn't call? Fled the country? Don't you dare toss me some lame excuse! I think I deserve a little more than that. After all we were dating for over a year when you just up and left." She sighed, putting up the chairs before picking up the bucket again and moving the next table, farthest away from Dean.

He followed suit, refusing to back off. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

"Well then spit it out." She said impatiently, looking up at him, her brown eyes meeting his hazel ones.

"My dad picked up a trail on the thing that killed my mom and I didn't want you to get involved." He explained seriously.

Emma rolled her eyes, rolling up the sleeves on her red T-shirt. "Don't even start with that!! We took on some pretty dangerous stuff together. I don't care what you were hunting! I would have gone with you regardless of how _risky._ That was what we did best… working a hunt as one." She stopped mid-sentence. "Well…maybe that was the second thing we did best…" She smirked, only for a moment, then shaking her head and returning her attention their previous topic. "We hunted as a team, and we rocked at it."

"My dad thought we were getting close to finding the thing that killed our mom, I had to pick up and leave… I didn't want you in the middle of my family's crusade." He snapped. "And I wouldn't change a thing. I'm glad you weren't a part of it…the damn son of a bitch got dad." He said, breaking off for a moment. "It nearly got me and Sammy too."

Emma softened slightly for a moment, looking at him, her eyes getting moist. She and the Winchesters had been like family so many years ago, and it hurt that she hadn't been able to say goodbye to John. "Yeah, I heard." She responded, her tone less harsh than before. "I'm so sorry for your loss Dean… your dad…he was a good person."

He nodded, looking down at the floor for a second before he met eyes with Emma again. "So I take it you still hunt?" Dean asked, changing the subject.

"I pick up a job here and there." She told him, stopping in mid wipe. "What are you even doing here by the way?"

"Do I need a reason to come visit my old girl?" He asked.

"Don't use me and 'old' in the same sentence ever again, or I'll deck you in the face." She snapped. "And I'm not your girl anymore… you made that decision when you walked out on me five years ago."

"Emma, I never wanted to leave you…" He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "I told you that already."

"I don't care, Dean. You could have at least called me, let me know you were okay…something. I spent a year trying to figure out what happened to you, wondering if you were okay! I thought maybe you had-". She stopped for a moment, her heart breaking all over again. "I cried myself to sleep too many nights and I finally start to let it go, and here you show up again and toss everything upside down..."

Dean leaned forward and wrapped his fingers gently around her thin, toned arm. "Em…" He began, but she quickly jerked her arm away.

"Dean, I can't do this… I won't do this." She said firmly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I can't relive all this pain again; I can't get over you again." She said, turning on her heel and walking across the bar to the counter where she could shield herself from him a little better.

"Hurting you was the last thing in the world I ever wanted to do." He told her, leaning against the opposite side of the counter.

"Well it's too late for that. I _loved_ you, Dean." She spat, a tear spilling from her eye and cascading down her cheek. For so long she had told herself that she had finally gotten over him, but now that he was standing in front of her, bringing the past emotions back to the surface, she was hurting all over again. She folded her arms across her chest and looked at floor. "Please just go." She pleaded softly, her voice barely audible.

When she glanced up at him, a brief moment later, Dean stood there, looking like she had never seen him before… completely _vulnerable_. There was no 'game face' or anything even close to it… just broken-looking. He had always been a tough guy, but with a sweet side, and even when his guard was completely down, she had never seen him look so hurt. After a moment, he patted the counter's surface with his hand before heading for the door, out into the cold, Colorado night.

Turning around she slid down the wall behind the counter, collapsing into an emotional puddle, choking on a pitiful, heart wrenching sob. "God damn it Dean!" She muttered as tears poured down her face.

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What did you think? Please review and let me know what you thought!  More Chapters are to come soon!

LiLcrueLangeL


	2. Some Memories Suck

As promised, here is the second chapter! Enjoy please! Thank you for the reviews so far, and please continue to do so! Thank you!

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The warm beams from the impala's headlights spilled over the inky night as Dean pulled his beloved car into a parking space outside the motel where he and Sam were staying. He cut the loud engine before sinking back into the leather upholstery for a moment to sit and reflect on what had happened back at the bar.

Emma had once been everything to him and leaving her was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. From the first moment Dean had set eyes on her, he knew he was in big trouble. She was so different than any girl he'd ever met and he was certain he had found the girl of his dreams.

He could still remember exactly what she was wearing and how she had styled her dark brown hair on their first date. Sometimes he swore he could still smell her perfume, as if it was permanently burned into his clothing. He missed waking up next to her in bed, her arms wrapped around his waist, their legs and fingers intertwined as she slept peacefully, using his chest as a pillow. He missed the way her chocolate colored eyes sparkled when she looked at him, or when she would come up behind him and kiss him for no reason at all. Those memories alone were enough to send him into misery.

Now all Dean had left was sweet memories of a life he used to have; a life where he had a girl that cared for him as much as he cared for her; where nothing seemed more important than the two of them, and everything else faded away. Living day after day without her was downright agonizing, but he had to remind himself, he did it to keep her safe. If she had gotten hurt because of him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. But as he sat reminiscing in his car, thinking of their recent, brief conversation, he realized he _had_ hurt her. It was in a different way then he had originally feared, but it was maybe worse and possibly even more excruciating. It was a pain that just kept blazing, even after five years of separation. When he had walked into that dingy old bar she had instantly taken the breath from his chest, and his heart was racing so fast, he had felt faint; but the look on her face when she saw him was what haunted him the most. It wasn't a look of relief or excitement; it was panic, anger, and sadness. It killed him that he had caused her to feel that way, especially after promising her that he would never hurt her. He had thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to him and he had to live with that everyday.

Alone in his car, he allowed a couple tears to be shed, but as quickly as they fell he wiped them away and quickly regained his composure before he had to go back into the room and face Sam.

He took another moment to sit and collect his thoughts before opening the car door and stepping out into the night. Taking the motel room's key out of the pocket of his worn brown leather jacket, Dean closed the distance between his car and the door before sticking the metal item into the lock, letting himself in before shutting and locking the door behind him. Compared to some of the other motels Sam and Dean had been to, Dean decided this was one of the best. It was clean; the walls were a crisp white with new carpeting on the floor and brand new bed linens.

Throwing the key down on the round table by the kitchen area, Dean drew in a heavy breath as he shrugged off his jacket and slung it over the back of a chair. He looked over to Sam who was sitting on one of the queen sized beds, computer across his lap and papers sprawled out all around him.

Sam looked at Dean strangely for a moment, not saying anything until Dean finally noticed and became instantly annoyed. "What's with you?" Dean snapped, looking at his younger brother.

"Nothings wrong with me… easy, sparky." Sam retorted quickly, still looking at Dean. "I thought you were bringing food back with you?"

Dean sighed heavily once again as he ran a hand over his tired face. With all the commotion with Emma, he had totally forgotten about grabbing food from the diner on his way back. "I forgot to pick it up." He said shortly.

"As long as I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you miss out on an opportunity to eat… you do realize that eating is one of your favorite hobbies, right?" Sam observed, still giving his brother a perplexed expression.

"I just forgot, alright… it's easy to do if you're not hungry."

"Dude, you were gone over an hour… if you weren't picking up food, where the hell were you?" Sam persisted.

"None of your damn business, Sam." He yelled. Dean had finally had enough questions, and now he was in no mood at all to even talk about anything not involving the job they were currently working. Sam rolled his eyes and looked back at his computer screen continuing to look up more information. Dean went to sit on the edge of his own bed, feeling drained, and even though he wouldn't say it aloud to Sam, a little depressed. "You find anything about that family?"

"Not much. I'll tell you what I told you before… I don't think this is anything out of the ordinary. Todd Granger died getting attacked by a horse, and I hate to break it to you… but this is Colorado… people have horses on their ranches. Horses have been known to occasionally attack people." Sam replied, clicking shut his laptop, momentarily giving up on the research. "I'm just not seeing anything _supernatural_ going on here."

"That's enough, smart ass. We're staying here until we know for sure… and tomorrow we're talking to that family." He told Sam firmly.

"You're in a really bad mood tonight."

"Just a bad night, okay?" Dean replied, laying back on his bed and resting his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes, trying to ignore how annoying Sam was being.

"What the hell happened to you when you were gone?" Sam questioned seriously.

"Nothing, alright… I don't want to talk about it."

"C'mon, dude. It's bothering you enough to the point where you _forgot_ to eat…"

Dean didn't answer, his eyes still closed, trying his very hardest to block out everything Sam was saying. Sam rolled his eyes after another few minutes of trying before running possible reasons of why Dean would be so upset in his head.

"Is it something involving a demon?" Sam questioned.

Still no response from Dean.

"Did you scratch the impala?" He persisted.

"That's not even funny to joke about." Dean spat.

"Come on, Dean! Tell me what the hell is wrong with you..." Sam said, getting annoyed. "Why won't you ever talk about what's bothering you?"

"Because I'm not a girl like you."

Sam was about to protest when it hit him. It all made sense… they were in the right state, hell even the right town. _It would explain why he was gone so long and didn't bring food back. _Sam thought quickly, his mind burning with questions. Dean had only mentioned her once in the time since they had picked up the trail on the yellow eyed demon. Dean had way too much to drink and he just began babbling about her, incoherently telling Sam just about everything about her and the relationship they had. Sam had always wondered, and even tried to bring it up once or twice, but Dean had cut him off from asking any questions. It also dawned on him that things must not have gone well or else Dean wouldn't be in such a sour mood.

Unable to stop his big mouth or curious nature, he brought his legs over the side of the bed, allowing his feet to rest on the floor before looking over at Dean's figure, stretched out on the bed. "Is this about Emma?"

Dean's eyes shot open, feeling panicked as he sat up, shooting his brother an incredulous look. The shocked expression quickly flipped like a switch to anger.

"So this is about Emma." Sam said calmly. "You went to see her didn't you?"

Dean scurried off the bed, heading for the round kitchen table, grabbing his coat and throwing it on before grabbing the Impala's keys and storming for the door.

"DEAN! Where the hell are you going?" Sam questioned, starting to regret he said anything at all.

"TO GET FOOD!" He yelled loudly, heading out the door and slamming it so hard behind him, the wall shook.

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Well what did you think? Please review!!!! More to come soon!!! I hope you liked it!!!

LiLcrueLangeL


	3. I hate that I love you

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it…

Okies guys, sorry this one is a little late… things got a little crazy!! heehee. I had a SPN convention to go to on 11/11 so that took up that weekend, then I went on a mini road trip this past weekend, so I didn't really have much time to write. But I finally got it, and here it is!! I hope you like it!! Please review and thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed so far:)

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Emma hated crying more than anything, it made her feel weak and pathetic, and to be crying over a guy was against everything she had once believed in. She promised herself that no man would ever bring her to tears, but Dean Winchester wasn't just _some guy._ She had fallen for him instantly, and hard. Before he had come into her life, she was quite the pistol when it came to the opposite sex. Men were all jerks in her eyes and all behaved the same, which was mostly true with the exception of Dean. Although at first he seemed like all the guys she'd previously met, he was so different once she got to know him. Originally, she shook him off, but he refused to back down from a challenge, and eventually annoyed her to the point where she accepted the invitation for their first date.

It wasn't anything overly romantic, as that wasn't quite Dean's style. It was just a frozen pizza and a few beers while they watched The Shining, (which they found out happened to be not only Dean's favorite movie, but Emma's too) in Emma's little apartment. Cuddled on her comfy, worn brown leather couch, they watched the movie as if neither of them had ever seen it before. Emma even went as far to grasp Dean's shirt on the scary parts, even though she wasn't afraid. After the movie ended and all the pizza had been consumed, they moved to the kitchen for a few more beers. They talked about random things to start, but then jumped around to details about themselves, sharing all the fine points about how insane their families each were. Then it was onto the hunting subject… what could have been weird and awkward, they found refreshing, and it turned into even more common ground. They had even enjoyed sharing gruesome details of a hunt and showing each other their battle scars. Emma could remember they talked all night, and it flew by too fast… in the end, what finally stopped them was the sun peaking over the Rocky Mountains right outside Emma's kitchen window. But the date really ended with the most memorable kiss she'd ever had. Just before Dean left, they both tried to play it cool as she walked him to the front door, then as they both leaned in simultaneously, they accidentally smacked their heads together. Both burst out laughing, rubbing their foreheads before the chemistry took back over and everything became serious once again as their lips finally crashed. She had melted instantly against him as the kiss sent tingles down her spine and goose bumps over her exposed flesh. At that point, Dean had earned a second date and it was all down hill from there. By the third date, they became inseparable, and that's how they stayed up until the day he left.

Flipping on the light as she stepped into her tiny apartment foyer, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, closing her sad brown eyes for a moment, allowing some more tears to cascade down her ashen cheeks. She pressed her fingers to her mouth, the memory of their first kiss still burning on her lips. _Maybe a shower will make me feel better _She thought to herself quickly, as she snapped herself out of the trance, locking the door and heading to her apartment's only bathroom where she turned on the hot water in the standup shower. Wiping the tears away hastily, she looked at herself in the mirror at her pale-looking face, trying to rub off her makeup with a cool wash cloth before the steam swallowed up her image in the reflective surface. As she stepped into the shower, the water scalded her bare skin, causing her to hiss slightly. She breathed in the hot steam, soaking her hair thoroughly as she sighed and reached for her mint Shampoo, squeezing some into her palm before massaging it into her scalp, trying to let the fresh sent carry her thoughts away. It didn't work for long though. Before she even could stop herself, she was crying yet again, the loud sound of the water hitting the tile barely covering her pitiful sobs. At one point, she was crying so hard, she actually doubled over. She eventually just sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees as the water continued to pelt her back as she continued to sob, the tears getting lost in the hot water beading over her head and falling down her face.

She wanted to hate him with every fiber of her being after he left her the way he did, but she couldn't bring herself to even say the words aloud. She was afraid to admit it, but the truth was she _still_ loved him and she hated it. She was angry that he'd left, angry that he shut her out of something that was so important in his life, and even angrier that he had the nerve to come back after so long to try to get her back. But even as mad as she was, she couldn't fight her feelings, and she knew she still wasn't over him. She hadn't allowed herself to heal because she was so sure he was it, and now she was mentally kicking herself because the one time she opened her heart and let someone in, she got hurt.

She stayed in the shower until the water ran cold, causing her to shiver, so she stepped out of the shower and dried off before she went to her bedroom where she pulled open her drawers, taking out a pair of red and black plaid pajama pants and a black tank top. Pulling on the clothes, she instantly felt warmer and a little better now that she was clean, and smelled better than an old grungy bar. Bumping her dresser drawer shut, she grabbed her hair brush and worked through the wet dark tangles until they ran smooth against her bare shoulders. Putting the hair brush down, she rubbed her sore, red eyes before pressing her fingers to her temples. Her head was pounding so hard she could barely take it. She needed sleep desperately and some pain killers, and she even thought about getting the pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream from the back of her freezer (there in case of a really terrible day ) _Like today _ She thought to herself. Sitting down on her queen-sized bed, she reached over to the bedside table, pulling the creaky wooden drawer open, feeling around in the back for the bottle of ibuprofen when her fingertips brushed over a cool metal frame. Grasping it, she took it from its resting spot and brought it to her lap before flipping it over to gaze at it. Just when she had thought all her tears dried up, her eyes welled with salty tears once again as she studied the photo the frame held. It was a picture of her and Dean on their one year anniversary and they both looked so genuinely happy it almost made her question if it was real. She had completely forgotten it was back there; banished from sight. As the tears began to spill over once again, she brought her legs up to the bed, sitting Indian-style before bringing the frame close to her chest and hugging it fiercely, afraid it too, would disappear.

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I should have more up soon!!!! Reviews are much appreciated!!! Have a lovely Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

LiLcrueLangeL


	4. Strictly Business

I'M BACK!!!!!! I am soo sorry I haven't updated in so long!!! Things have been absolutely CrAzY this past year!!!! But I'm back, and will be updating!! Please enjoy!! I tried to make this Chapter a little longer than the others  Please read & Review, and as always, thank you to those who have reviewed so far!! It is much appreciated!!!

Disclaimer: Don't own it… any of it. Well maybe except Emma… but that's about it.

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Dean stumbled back into the motel room sometime around five in the morning. Sam heard the door creak open, and Dean came in closing the door behind him. Sam knew he must have been drinking massive amounts of alcohol because when Dean walked past Sam's bed, Sam could smell it. Dean just fell on top of his bed, not even bothering to take off his coat before instantly falling into a deep (and much to Sam's annoyance), a snoring sleep. After a while though, Sam too was able to really fall asleep, not having to worry about whether or not his brother had gotten into an accident from drinking and driving. It baffled Sam how Dean could possibly drive his beloved impala in such a state.

It wasn't until much later that Sam awoke to the sound of Dean puking in the bathroom. Groaning, he sat up in bed and threw back the covers and crossed the room to the bathroom, standing in the doorway.

"Have fun last night?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Shut up Sam." Dean moaned, lying on the floor.

"So you'd rather go out and get wasted instead of just telling me about Emma?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"God, yes."

"You're an idiot." Sam said, rolling his eyes.

Dean reluctantly pulled himself up off the tiled floor, fighting the nausea and walked to the doorway of the bathroom. "It's none of your damn business Sam!" Dean yelled. "I don't have to share all the details of my personal life with you. It's not like you tell me everything either."

"Well now you pretty much know everything because you all but beat it out of me, so now I'm going to do the same to you. I'm not some random person Dean, we're family for Christ's sake. We should start acting like it from time to time."

"Thanks for stating the obvious." He snapped, going over to the sink and washing his mouth out with some mouth wash to rinse out the taste. He then walked back into the room and went into his bag for aspirin, popping off the lid and pouring four into his palm. In one swift motion, he threw his head back, swallowing them all at once. He groaned again, pinching the bridge of nose with his index finger and thumb. "I don't want to talk about it, Sam and this is the very last time I want to hear you ask. If you start asking questions again, I'm going to have to kill you." He said sounding annoyed. "Now, I believe we have a family to go talk to." He added, changing the subject.

Sam sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Yeah you look like you're ready to go right now." He replied sarcastically, grabbing black pants and a white dress shirt from his bag. Sam decided to drop it for the time being, figuring he could try again later. Whiskey always did make Dean a rambling idiot.

"Just give me ten minutes. I'm fine." He mumbled, grabbing his clothes and going back into the bathroom.

About a half an hour later Dean and Sam were driving towards the Granger ranch, about a twenty minute drive from downtown Denver. The ride was completely silent the whole way there, and Dean didn't even say a word until they were on the front porch of the ranch house. A woman who looked to be in her mid forties, answered the door, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked like she had been crying earlier, due to the puffiness and redness of her eyes. "Can I help you?" She asked them.

Sam and Dean instantly, like a reflex, reached for their fake badges and held them up to show her. "Hello Mrs. Granger, I'm agent Harlow, and this is my partner Agent Stevens, FBI." Dean told her. "We'd like to ask you some questions if that's alright…"

"FBI?" She asked, looked confused. "Why is the FBI involved? My husband was killed by a horse…"

"We know ma'am, we're just stopping by to confirm." Sam answered quickly. "Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"I guess so…" She stammered, opening the screen door and letting them inside. She led them into the family room, where there was already someone sitting on the couch. "Emma… this is agent Harlow and agent Stevens from the FBI. They came to ask a few questions." The woman said. Emma whirled around and kept her composure. "Oh alright, Lynn, do you need me to go?" Emma asked the woman, throwing a narrowing glance at Dean.

Sam instantly caught on. "No that's alright, you can stay… we only have a few questions." He pointed out. He could feel Dean's stare burning into his back. He knew he was probably going to be murdered once they left the ranch.

"_Agent Harlow_… may I speak with you for a moment?" Emma asked, her chocolate colored eyes, burning with anger.

"Emma is everything alright?" Lynn asked.

"Yes, of course, Lynn. I just wanted to ask him something. I'll be right back." She replied softly.

"Go ahead, I've got this." Sam added, knowing that they were probably going to have a cat fight outside, and even though he sort of wanted to watch, he knew it would blow their cover if there was an actual job to be worked.

Emma waited for Dean to turn around, before following him back out of the house to the wrap around front porch. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked him in a furious whisper. "I thought you left!"

"Not this time, sweetheart." He said with a smirk. "I'm not going anywhere. And I could ask you the same thing… you working the job?"

"What job!?" She asked him in disbelief. "Lynn Granger is someone I've known for years… I'm stopping by to make sure she's alright… she just lost her husband for God's sake."

"You mean you can't work the job, because you're too close to the subject." Dean corrected.

"Dean, I swear to God." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "You are the biggest baby I've ever met!" She groaned. "There is no job… you were looking for something to hunt in the area so you could blame that on coming to see me, so you put this poor woman through more crap that she doesn't need right now."

"Oh there's a job here, sweetheart, don't flatter yourself." He said, narrowing his eyes back at her, even though he knew deep down there was a possibility she was right. There didn't seem to be anything strange that occurred yet… but he wasn't leaving until he was sure.

They were distracted when a girl ran out of the house and brushed past them. Emma turned to look at her and forgot all about Dean for a moment. "Maggie!" She called. Maggie turned around and looked at Emma, stopping wherever she was in such a hurry to get to. Emma walked past Dean, bumping into him before heading down the porch steps and over to the ten year old. "Maggie, what's wrong?" Emma asked her softly.

"Nothing…" Maggie replied, running a hand through her long blonde hair, the same shade as her mother's. "It's hard to explain."

"Well you know you can tell me right?" Emma smiled. "You know I won't say anything." Emma had been babysitting for the Grangers since she very first moved to Colorado, seven years ago, so she had built a relationship with Maggie. Emma sort of saw her like a little sister.

"You won't believe me! Nobody does!" She protested, almost on the verge of tears. Emma didn't know which was scarier, the fact that something supernatural might be happening to a family she knew really well, or the fact that Dean was right about it. Again. Ugh, he was going to be so smug.

Dean walked over, to stand behind Emma. Maggie looked up at him nervously. "Who is he?" She asked Emma.

"This is _Agent Harlow_" Emma said softly, trying not to make a face at Dean. "If you tell us I promise we'll believe you…"

"Even if you think it sounds crazy, we'll believe you." Dean added softly. The kindness tone in his voice made Emma almost break out in goose bumps. He was always so sweet with kids, it had always made Emma more crazy for him. Mentally kicking herself from even thinking of him in that way again, she turned back to Maggie.

"Maggie, what is it?" She persisted.

"My mom thinks that Phantom killed daddy, but it wasn't Phantom!" She said.

"'Phantom' is?" Dean questioned.

"'Phantom' is the name of the horse." Emma replied quickly, not wanting to distract Maggie, but trying to get across to Dean. Emma looked back at Maggie yet again into her green eyes. "If Phantom didn't hurt your dad, then what did? Did you see something?" Emma asked.

"There was a palomino wild horse that came in and attacked him when he was closing up the barn for the night." She explained. "Mom doesn't believe me! Nobody does!"

"Maggie, we believe you." Dean interjected. "Are there a lot of wild horses around here?"

"I don't know." She admitted.

"Maggie, are you sure the horse you saw was a palomino?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, I'm positive." She replied. "Do you believe me?"

"Of course we do." Emma smiled. "Was there anything else you saw?"

"It had red eyes." Maggie said, looking right at Emma as she crouched down to her height level.

"Okay, we believe you." Emma smiled softly at Maggie before looking up at Dean, feeling worried. Emma pulled Maggie into a hug. "We have to go, but we'll be back okay? Does your mom know you're going out to the stable?" Emma asked.

Maggie shook her head.

"You should go back inside and tell her you are… she wouldn't want you to get hurt, okay?" Emma smiled. "C'mon, let's go…"

Maggie followed Emma back into the house with Dean in tow. By the time they reached the family room, Sam had finished questioning Lynn.

"Thank you Mrs. Granger, we'll be in touch." Sam said with a nod.

"I have to take off too." Emma said softly. "If you need anything, just give me a call, okay?" She told Lynn, giving her and Maggie a hug.

Lynn nodded, resting her hands on Maggie's little shoulders as they showed the three out. Once they were safely out of hearing distance, Dean turned to Emma.

"Wow, it feels good to be right." He said smugly. "I know how to do my job!" He said not only to Emma, but to Sam as well.

"I didn't want you to be right, Dean." Emma snapped. "These people are like family to me."

"You just happened to neglect to tell me that?" He asked.

"First of all… not really your business, second of all, it's not like it really came up." She shot back.

"Can I say something?" Sam interjected, trying to sound innocent.

"NO!" Emma and Dean shouted simultaneously. They both stopped and looked at Sam then.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I think that since we're all hunters here, we might as well tackle this one together." Sam said, trying not to smile.

Emma rolled her eyes then sighed. "Fine, but this is strictly business." She said, pointing a finger at Dean.

"Fine with me." Dean snapped back.

"Alright, follow me back to my place. It's closer." She said. "Try to keep up, huh?" She told them. "Or do you still remember the way, Dean?" She asked coldly.

"I think we'll manage." Dean said, narrowing his eyes as Emma crossed the driveway to her purple 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. Once she was in, she brought the beast to life and hit the gas, sending a shower of gravel behind her before pulling out of the ranch entrance.

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I'm already working on the next chapter, so it should be up by Monday… Hope you liked it!! PLEASE REVIEW!!! :D Thankies!!!

LiLcrueLangeL


	5. Research Anyone?

As promised, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!! Thank you again to those of you who have reviewed!! More is on its way!! :D

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Her heart was pounding so fast, she could hear it pulsing in her ears over the sound of her beloved Cuda's engine. She tried her best not to glance back into her rearview mirror to see the infamous black Impala tailing her. She honestly could say, it was something she never thought would ever happen again, but yet, here it was happening. She had to keep jerking herself back into reality to keep her car on the road. _*Keep your head, Emma… this is strictly business. Don't let him drag you back. Don't let him drag you back…* _She began to repeat to herself over and over again as she drove. Eventually, she was just too tempted, and reached up to bend the rear-view mirror so she couldn't see behind her at all.

It didn't take long to get to her apartment complex. It was actually pretty upscale. Emma had never been a typical hunter. She tried her best to keep the supernatural at arm's length, which up until now, had worked pretty well. When she took on a hunt by herself, she almost always headed out of state then made damn sure nothing tailed her home. Her home was her sanctuary. It was the one place where she didn't have to hide; a place to relax. She pulled the Cuda into its usual spot, and Dean whipped into the spot next to hers. She cut the engine and got out of the car, meeting the boys up on the sidewalk before walking into the front entrance of the building and putting in her card key.

"Wow, that's pretty fancy. I don't remember the card key." Dean commented, rolling his eyes.

"Perhaps you were just too preoccupied by other things?" She answered with a smirk, grabbing her mail from its slot and heading up the stairs with the boys in tow. She pulled out a separate set of keys and unlocked the door, stepping inside. "Shoes off at the door." She told them as she set the mail down on a side table next to the door. "I just cleaned."

Dean rolled his eyes again, and Sam just laughed, but they did as she asked before coming inside. "So I guess we should start research?" She asked.

"I brought our laptop." Sam said, cradling it under his arm. He walked to the square kitchen table in the breakfast nook and set it down. "You have a nice place, Emma." Sam said.

"Thanks, Sam." She smiled. "I guess I should have introduced myself at the ranch, since Dean was being rude." She said, shooting the eldest brother a dirty look. "Dean used to talk about you all the time, so it's nice to finally meet you."

"I kind of figured who you were. I wish I could say the same about hearing lots about you..." He smiled, leaning in a little closer so he could keep his voice lower, but still just loud enough for Dean to hear. "You know Dean… isn't into the 'chick flick' moments." He laughed lightly.

"Ah, yes, the 'chick flick' moment. Wouldn't want to have too many of those now would we?" She laughed, mimicking Sam's tone with a genuine smile.

"I'm standing right here… I can hear you two." Dean sighed.

"Well we were talking kind of loud." Emma retorted sassily before changing the subject. She crossed the kitchen into the open living/family room, grabbing her own yellow laptop from the desk and bringing it back to the kitchen table. "Alright, so I was thinking we could start by looking up the Bureau of Land Management." She said. "They track every single wild horse on the range, and keep records of them all… they even round them up once a year to keep the herd numbers stabilized." She explained. "We're lucky that the horse Maggie saw was a palomino. Palominos are a very rare Mustang color, so there shouldn't be many of them listed. We can go from there."

"Are we supposed to know what a Palomino is?" Dean asked Emma.

"A Palomino is a color of horse, Dean. It's like a golden yellow color with a white mane and tail, although red eyes aren't a usual trait." She explained, not only to Dean, but to Sam as well, so they would both know what they were looking for.

Sam looked impressed. Dean stared at her in disbelief. "Wow, when did you become a horse expert?" He asked.

"I have a little spare time… and I like horses." She said flashing him a charming smile. She loved it when Dean looked confused. He had this weird perplexed expression that Emma had always found irresistible, and it really didn't help that she all of a sudden had butterflies in her stomach again. "I never told you I had a horse when I was little?"

"No, I think you neglected to mention that." He said, trying not to smile.

"Wow, there are a lot of horses listed in their database." Sam said, letting out a low whistle, interrupting Dean and Emma's little chat. "This is going to take us a while to sort through all of them."

"Yeah… I figured there might be." She sighed, going over to the fridge and pulling out three beers, handing them each one, and removing the bottle cap from her own. She took a swig and drew in a deep breath. "Let's get to work. Start making a list of every Palomino on record."

"Wow, this is going to be a freaking blast." Dean said sarcastically.

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A few hours later, the daylight began to fade, and so was the patience level in Emma's apartment.

"We've been through the whole list…there isn't a record of a single Palomino." Dean said, tiredly, rubbing face with his hand. "Which means…"

"It means that it definitely wasn't a wild horse that attacked Todd." Emma added to finish Dean's sentence.

"Yahtzee." Dean said.

"Well I would love to explore more options, but I have a shift at the bar so I need to get going. We can always pick up in the morning and regroup after a few hours of sleep." Emma replied.

"Sounds good to me. Food wouldn't hurt either." Sam pointed out, looking at his watch, seeing it was almost nine o'clock. "I can look up some local articles tonight at the motel and see if I can find anything."

"You have to go to work, now?" Dean questioned, looking at the clock.

"Yes, Dean. It's how I pay for the splendor that you see all around you…" She sighed, motioning to her apartment. "The bar flies that stumble in late, tip better." She smiled. "They're not so great at poker either." She added. "So shall we meet back up early tomorrow?" She asked them.

"Define early? I'm not a morning person." Dean smiled.

"I know Dean… I remember." She said softly, remembering. She was surprised how much the little memory stung. It wasn't like she hadn't always known, or thought about it, but having him there again, back in her life, and remembering little things like that, just made the pain so much more real. She was dying to just run back into his arms, but she held herself back, her mind convincing her heart that she couldn't take it _when_ he left again.

"I'll just stop by sometime around eleven. Now if you boys will excuse me, I have to get ready for work. I will see you both in the morning." She told them.

She was surprised that Dean didn't have a smart-ass response and they both collected themselves and headed out. Emma was left alone in her apartment, like she always was, but it seemed so empty all over. Like the last time he'd left. She didn't like the feeling, and she just couldn't let go. Reluctantly, she dragged herself to her bedroom at the back of the apartment and changed into a Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt from her drawer and pair of dark colored jeans. She threw on a coat and her boots at the door before heading back out into the night, trying to keep Dean off her mind.

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Please R&R!! It is as always, much appreciated!! I will have more soon!! :D Thanks Everyone!! Hope you liked this chapter!!

LiLcrueLangeL


	6. Can't Take It Anymore

Back with a new Chapter!! Hope you all like it!!! Please R&R!!! Thanks to all who have been reading and reviewing so far!!! :D I love to hear what you guys think!!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it

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"Emma isn't so bad." Sam said once they returned to their motel room. Sam loosened his tie and threw into his bag before sitting on the edge of his bed, looking over at Dean.

"I know." He replied in a mono-tone voice. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and it was especially hard when he was with her all day. It took everything he had not to just take her in his arms and beg that things could go back to the way they were, although he'd never say it out loud.

"Look, Dean. I know why you never said anything about her. It's obvious you guys aren't over each other." Sam sighed.

"What are you Dr. Phil now?" Dean asked, looking at his younger brother. "Why won't you just drop it? You know just about everything now, you've met her… let's just do the job and move on."

"C'mon seriously…" Sam sighed heavily. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"Sam. Seriously sometimes I worry about you and your girly weirdness."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Hilarious." He sighed, reaching over and grabbing his laptop again. He opened it up and sat back on the bed starting to browse the internet for more information on the case.

Dean ignored him, and went to his bag, pulling out a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt before making his way into the bathroom. He shut the door behind him and turned on the cold water in the sink, quickly splashing his face. She was eating away at him. He didn't know if he was going to be able to keep working side by side with her and not be even more deeply affected. He was Dean Winchester, and the one girl he wanted most of all… he couldn't get. Why? Because he'd left her without so much as a goodbye. Honestly, he didn't blame her. _*I'm such an idiot*_ He told himself, looking at his tired reflection in the mirror.

He just had to try a lot harder, maybe with a little luck he could succeed. Quickly changing into his jeans and t-shirt, Dean headed out of the bathroom and threw on his coat. He tried to make it seem like he wasn't in a rush.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked, looking up from his laptop.

"To get some food." He replied. "Want anything?"

"Is that the new code phrase for going to see Emma?" He asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine, just for that… you're on your own for dinner." He smiled, grabbing his car keys and heading out into the night.

Sam groaned. "I guess I'm eating out the vending machine then." He mumbled to himself. "Oh Joy, I just love Doritos."

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It wasn't until three in the morning that Emma's gleaming Cuda pulled into its spot back at the apartment complex. She got out of the car, gingering her arm as she pulled out her card key when she saw Dean a few spots down, sitting on the hood of his car. She had almost missed him in the darkness, but there he was, handsome as always, in his usual worn brown leather jacket, his hazel eyes shimmering.

"I'm surprised you didn't stop by at the bar." She told him honestly, her brown eyes scanning him.

"I am too." He replied, eyeing her holding her arm. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." She responded quickly. "I tripped at work taking out the garbage, and I have a cut. I have to go up and clean it."

"Let me see it." He requested, although it sounded more like a command than a request. He hopped off the hood of the car and began walking towards her. Emma's heart began to pound again, as she began to roll up her sleeve in annoyance. He came closer and stopped right in front of her, taking her arm in his hand and looking at it. The touch sent electric current pulsing through her as he looked back up into her eyes. "Needs a couple stitches." He commented.

"Why thank you, Dr. Winchester... I kinda figured." She sighed heavily. "I'll stitch it up once I get upstairs."

"You're going to stitch it up on your own?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Dean." She replied, rolling her eyes. "I've stitched up my own cuts before…"

"Wouldn't you prefer to have a little help?" He asked, flashing his charming smile.

"Dean… what are you doing here?" She asked him. She had to gain control of her functions again. This had to stop now before she started crying again, which was probably going to happen anyways.

"What?" He asked with a smirk. "I had this ESP vibe that you needed my help, and viola! Here I am."

"Really, I think I can manage." She said, turning around and starting to walk for the front door of the building. Dean went after and stopped her.

"Let me just help you stitch it up, then I'll go." He said. "It's right above your wrist… it will take you twice as long to do it by yourself. And let's not forget you're a little squeamish when it comes to the sight of your own blood." He teased.

"I am not squeamish!!" She replied defensively.

She ran her good hand through her dark chocolate hair, blowing out a breath of frustration before meeting eyes with him. "Alright, fine. You can stitch it up, but then you have to go." She replied after a moment, rolling her eyes again as she continued forward, swiping her card key and heading up to her apartment with Dean. She had left a few lights on before she left for work, so the place looked warm and inviting when they walked in the door. Emma shrugged off her jacket gently, trying not to aggravate the gash and removed her boots, before heading towards the bathroom. Dean paused in the kitchen with a raised eyebrow. Emma turned around, looking confused.

"What?" She asked him, with a blank look on her face.

"You don't want a shot of whiskey first?" He asked with a smile.

"Oh no, I do… but I keep some Jack Daniels in the first aid kit." She replied with a smile.

"I forgot how much I liked your style." He laughed, following her to her bathroom. Emma was getting out the kit when he got there. She set the clear plastic box on the counter, and opened it up. Sure enough, there was the Jack. She sat down on top of the toilet seat, taking out the bottle and the shot glass, pouring herself a full cup. She threw it back easily and swallowed.

"Okay, I'm ready… go." She said. "Just try not to get blood everywhere-"

"You just cleaned… yeah, yeah, I know." He cut her off, finishing her sentence. He first took out some peroxide from the kit and began to clean the wound, wiping away excess blood. Emma took another swig of the Whiskey and sighed. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin onto hers, and even though her cut stung like hell each time he swiped it with a peroxide soaked cotton ball, she kept breaking out in goose bumps, wishing he would… well she wasn't even sure, but he was driving her mad.

"You know Dean… it hasn't been easy for me… since you left." Emma began.

"Hold still." He instructed suddenly, piercing the needle and thread through the far end of the gash and pulling it through.

"OW!" She cried. "Son of a bitch, Dean!"

"Sorry." He smiled. "First stitch is always a bitch, sweetheart."

She hissed as he continued, grabbing the Jack and swallowing another gulp, letting it burn the back of her throat. "I'm serious though."

"I know you are." He replied simply, concentrating on the stitches, getting smoother as he slowly worked his way down the wound, connecting suture to suture. "It's been just as hard on me." He told her, pausing to look into her eyes for only a moment before he continued his work. "Emma you were my world. It was almost impossible to walk away, but I won't have you hurt over my family's problems."

"There was a time where we talked about joining our families." She said, realizing once again how close she and Dean had been at one time. "Would you have let me come along then?"

"Wow… slightly awkward conversation, Em." He told her. "But… I guess if we're really talking about this… I would have made you stay here anyways."

"So it would have been irrelevant?" She asked him sadly.

"Yes."

"Dean, why do you always have to be so damn stubborn? You're worse than a mule." She stated, feeling hopeless. "At least maybe if we had gotten married I would have _known_ you'd come back some time or another." She added sarcastically.

"I was always planning on coming back, Em." He told her. "I didn't think it would take so long."

"Yeah, me either." She said softly.

He finished the final stitch, pulling it through and tying it off. Emma let out a low hiss again, as he cut the thread before pouring some more peroxide over freshly sewn up cut. "God Damn It!" She cried, wincing as her skin felt like it was melting.

"Oh you're such a baby." He said in a smart ass tone, laughing lightly as he put a clean gauze pad over it and taped it down.

"Oh I'm the baby!?" She asked him in disbelief. "I seem to remember someone reciting every swear word known to man when I was stitching up his forehead."

"Hmm… I must have blocked that one out." He said with a shrug.

"Right… likely story." She smiled. "Thanks, Dean. It burns like hell, but it's better than it was."

"Anytime." He said, looking at her. She couldn't stand it any longer. The electricity was back, tingling and snapping between them, and she couldn't control her body anymore as she stepped forward. He didn't hesitate at all, moving forward too, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning down slightly to touch his lips to hers. She instantly kissed him back, running her tongue across his lower lip. Her hands traveled up to the sides of his face before running them through his short spiky hair. She grabbed a fistful of it, deepening their kiss even more. She had missed him too much and had waited way too long to hold back now. Her body was aching for him. All of a sudden it was kicked it into high gear, and Emma couldn't jerk him close enough to her. She was screaming at herself to stop, but she couldn't. She couldn't get close enough to him fast enough.

He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling him as he carried her out of the bathroom into Emma's bedroom. They landed on the bed with a soft thud, only breaking their kiss long enough to remove an article of clothing. After Emma had worked off Dean's t-shirt, she ran a hand over his rock hard abs, feeling him quiver under her touch as he began to leave a trail of kisses from her collar bone to her neck. Dean ran his hands up the sides of her thighs, he too, unable to control himself. He rolled back over, coming over top of her and finding her lips again as their bodies intertwined.

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More to come soon!! I've already started the next chapter!!! :D Please review!! Thanks Everyone!!! :D

LiLcrueLangeL


	7. No New IdeasWell, Maybe One?

Here's the next chapter!! Yay!! :D Hope you guys enjoy!! Thank you all of you who have been reviewing!! Please continue to do so!! :D Thanks everyone!!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it.

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The sun peaked up over the Rockies once again, bringing a new dawn to the city. It was that same sunlight that seeped its way in through the cracks of Emma's window shades that woke her from the best night of sleep she'd had since she could ever remember. She was so caught up in Euphoria, she couldn't see straight. Dean was back in her life; well at least for the moment. But she wasn't going to let that ruin anything right now. She had already jumped in the pool… might as well swim. Right now, all she wanted to do was never leave bed as long as Dean was in it with her.

The hole that had been in her heart… the ugly aching hole… was gone; she was completely content again. She felt like she could take on anything, as long as he was by her side. She hoped that maybe now, he could feel the same about her.

His arms were still wrapped around her protectively when she awoke. Nuzzling her face into his bare chest a little more, she felt him stir from beneath her. She looked up to see him gazing at her, a sleepy smile on his face. She could feel herself glowing as she smiled back at him, reaching a hand up and gently running it through his messy short hair. He closed his eyes, obviously enjoying her touch. She laughed lightly.

"What?" He asked, cracking open one eye.

"You are so easily tamed, Dean Winchester."

"I so am not!" He pouted. "But you can keep doing that…" He mentioned quickly, closing his eyes once again, melting into her touch. "It feels nice."

"Uh, huh… that's what I thought." She laughed, trying to soak in the perfection of the moment. "I missed you so much." She told him seriously then.

He opened both eyes this time to look at her. "I missed you too, Em." He replied, touching his lips to hers, letting the kiss linger for a moment or two before pulling away.

She continued to absently run her fingertips over his scalp as she thought. "We have a lot to do today…" She sighed heavily. "But I really don't want to get out of bed."

"Who says we have to?" Dean asked with a smirk. "A phantom horse can wait for a day… or two, right?"

"Don't tempt me…" She warned playfully. It was quiet then for a moment. "Do you think Sam found anything?" She asked him.

"Of course… he's my trusty, geeky sidekick." He smiled. "He probably did all the research out of boredom."

"Do you think he's wondering where you are?" She asked him with a coy smile.

"He's a big boy, I'm sure he figured it out." He replied quickly.

Emma sighed, resting her head back on his chest, listening to the sound of his heart pumping, absorbing the warmth from his body. Dean began to lightly rub her back in circles, resting his chin on top of her head. "Do you want some coffee?" Emma mumbled, not really wanting to move, but feeling like they needed to get to work.

"Do I want some coffee?" He asked sarcastically. "Is that a trick question?"

She laughed. "No… I just thought I would offer anyways… you know sometimes people don't always want coffee." She teased.

"Yes, I want coffee." He smiled.

She slowly pulled away from his arms, grabbing her silk robe at the end of the bed and pulling it on before getting out of bed. She sleepily headed to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She tidied up around the kitchen while it brewed, and as soon as it was finished, she took two mugs out of the cabinet and poured a cup for herself, and one for Dean. She was starting to take them back to the bed, when Dean emerged from the bedroom, dressed only in his jeans, with no t-shirt. She smiled, handing him his cup, taking a small sip of her own. "I'm going to get dressed. Then we should probably go see what Sam found out." She told him.

Dean nodded, leaning down to kiss her. "Thanks for the coffee." He told her warmly. "Hurry and go get ready, and I might give you a ride back to the motel." He joked.

She made a face at him, pinching him hard the arm. "Ow!" He protested, smiling.

"Just for that, I'm going to take my time." She teased, flipping her dark chocolate hair over her shoulder, heading for her bedroom. She didn't take overly long to get dressed, picking out a black long-sleeved knit shirt and a pair of jeans. She finished her makeup and pinned up her bangs, letting the rest of her straight hair fall over her shoulders. She walked out and found Dean chatting on his phone, leaning against the counter in the kitchen. She brushed past him, grabbing her coat, watching him intently as he hung up.

"Who was that?" She questioned, slipping on her boots.

"Sam." He replied. "He possibly found something?" He stated, giving Emma a once over with his eyes.

"What?" She questioned him blankly.

"You look nice." He told her with a smile.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but blush at his comment. "Thanks." She smiled, straightening up. "You ready to go?"

He nodded, grabbing his coat from the back of the kitchen chair and slipping it on. They headed downstairs and out to the Impala. Emma had a flash of déjà vu when she walked up to the passenger side door and opened the heavy black door and in doing so, it squeaked in protest. She slid into the seat easily, closing the door again and taking in the once familiar sent of the car. Dean started the engine, resting an arm over Emma's shoulders as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards the motel.

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Dean and Emma walked into Sam and Dean's motel room about fifteen minutes later. Sam was sitting at the kitchen table, in front of his laptop with a cup of coffee at his side, still steaming. He looked frustrated and glared at Dean when he walked in the door.

"You know, your face can get stuck like that." Dean joked. "I wouldn't be able to be seen in public with you anymore…"

"I've been up all night, and I haven't found a damn thing on the internet." He sighed.

"No luck huh?" Emma questioned, going to stand behind Sam looking at the screen he was currently scrolling though. Sam sighed, softening his features with Emma, knowing she was only trying to help, unlike Dean who was just trying to be annoying on purpose.

"Nope." He sighed.

"So why did you say you had found something?" Dean questioned, going over to the pot of coffee Sam had made and pouring himself a mug.

"Well, I thought maybe we could watch the ranch tonight and see if the thing comes back… maybe we can get a look at it?" He suggested. "Because I really have no idea what the hell I'm even looking for anymore. I'm starting to think the BLM missed a Palomino horse in the registry of wild horses."

"A palomino with red eyes?" Emma questioned, with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think they would have missed that one… but I'm all for the steak out idea. I don't have work tonight so that works for me."

"Alright, it's better than anything so far." Dean admitted. "Steak out then. It's a plan. We better get some pie… it might be a long night."

Sam rolled his eyes, and Emma laughed, shaking her head. Dean would never change.

"Speaking of which, can we go grab some food?" Sam asked them. "I'm starving because someone didn't bring food back last night, and took the car." Emma and Dean looked at each other and smiled. Sam caught it and couldn't help but smile too. "So are you two back together now or something?"

Emma looked at Dean for her answer, because truthfully she wasn't quite sure what was going on between them. Her heart began to pound again, and she had a hard time breathing suddenly. Every bone in her body was aching for him to say they were back together, but her head was trying to caution her.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too… you guys up for some quality diner food? I could really go for some pigs in a blanket." He said, completely ignoring Sam's question all together. _*Damn*_ It would never be that simple with Dean, and Emma knew that. She blew out a breath, trying to breathe normally again.

"I could always eat some French toast." Emma chimed in, happily finding that her voice was in check.

"Well let's do that first, and then we can work out the details of the steak out." Dean nodded, emptying his coffee cup in the small kitchen motel sink and grabbing his keys out of his pocket.

"Shotgun!" Emma called, with a smile, as they headed back outside.

Sam just laughed and rolled his eyes, reluctantly climbing into the back seat. "Don't think I'm not just as good at calling shotgun… now I'll be on guard." He smiled.

"Dream on!" She teased, victoriously getting into the front seat, next to Dean. She could totally get used to being around the Winchester boys. She hoped that it would become her future reality. Now if only she could convince Dean… which would take some doing; but she wasn't about to lose him again.

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What did you guys think? :D Please R&R!! Much appreciated!! Thanks!!

LiLcrueLangeL


	8. Stake It Out

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it.

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It was going on three in the morning, and Sam had never been so bored. Generally stake-outs with Dean were boring, but at least it was another body in the car to casually chat with. Now he was all alone, outside, crouching in some grass on a hill above the ranch. It was cold, it was late, and Sam was extremely tired. He knew letting Dean and Emma stake out in one spot together was a bad idea. Lord only knew what they were doing. He hadn't heard from them in a while, and he was starting to get fed up looking at absolutely nothing. He tried to see them from his spot, but it was useless, they were at a completely different angle on the other side of the hill.

"Are you guys still awake over there?" Sam called over the two-way radio.

On the other side of the hill, Dean groaned in annoyance as Emma sat up from lying next to Dean. She took a moment to compose her voice, still breathless from kissing him. "Yup." Emma answered after a moment, only long enough to reply before finding her way back to Dean's lips.

"And behaving yourselves?" He then asked.

"Yes, mom." Dean replied this time, taking the handheld radio from Emma and answering before going back to kissing Emma.

"Why don't I believe you?"

Dean groaned again. "Because you're paranoid."

Emma laughed. "Boy he doesn't miss a thing does he?"

"Never." Dean sighed heavily.

"I'm guessing you guys haven't seen a thing either?" Sam questioned.

"Nada thing…" Emma answered this time, as she and Dean sat up and composed themselves. Emma looked over at Dean and smiled.

"I think this is a bust guys… maybe we should just head in, I don't think we're going to see anything tonight… it's almost four in the morning."

Dean took the radio from Emma again. "Let's just stay for another half hour, then we'll call it quits."

Sam groaned to himself, rolling his eyes. "Alright…"

Emma hugged her coat a little closer to herself, feeling the cold night air for real, now that she and Dean weren't keeping each other warm. She glanced over the ranch and sighed lightly before glancing up at the brilliant night sky. The stars were so clear, she had forgot how they looked away from the city lights. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dean looking at her. She looked back over at him and smiled.

"What?" She asked him.

"Nothing…" He shrugged.

"Dean… what?" She persisted, turning her head, her dark eyes scanning his face in the darkness.

"I just never thought I'd be staking out a ranch looking for a phantom horse….with you sitting next to me again." He replied softly.

She thought about that for a moment, reaching up to touch his face. "I know. I never thought I'd be sitting next to you again either… kind of weird how things work out, huh?"

"I guess so." He agreed. "Emma… I really am sorry about everything I ever put you through while I was gone. I thought you'd be better off without me. Everyone seems to get hurt around me."

She looked at him for a moment, remaining quiet as she thought about what he said. "Just don't do it again." She told him, looking straight into his eyes.

"I won't." He replied seriously.

She paused, looking at him, her heart pounding again as she tried to gain the nerve to ask him again. She was terrified the answer would be no, but she couldn't stand not knowing anymore. "So Sam asked earlier if we were back together…" She finally said softly. "What should we tell him if he happens to ask again?"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "You would have to be on the road with us… all the time." He told her seriously. "We get kind of annoying… not to mention, things are starting to get really dangerous. You would have to give up everything you've built here if you wanted to be with me." He pointed out. "Do you really want to give all you have up just to be with me?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Winchester." She told him with a small smile. "I know what I have to give up. I would have done it then, and I'll do it now. I want to be with you again."

He just smiled. "Then I guess we're back together."

She grabbed a fistful of his leather jacket then and pulled him towards herself, kissing him. He instantly kissed her back.

He pulled away with a smirk a moment later. "I love it when you're rough." He teased.

"Oh shut up." She laughed, playfully punching him in the arm.

They were about to kiss again, when they heard a door slam on the ranch house. Dean and Emma quickly looked down from their lookout spot and watched intently. Maggie darted from the front porch, dressed in jeans and a jacket as she crossed the yard, heading for the barn across the property.

"What is she doing up?" Emma asked aloud.

"Where is she going?" Sam asked over the two-way radio.

"I think to the barn…" Emma responded to Sam as she and Dean started to climb down from their spot, making their way slowly towards the barn. "Hold tight Sam, Dean and I are going to investigate."

"Alright." He responded.

When Maggie was about at the halfway point in-between the barn and the house, it appeared. It came out of absolutely no where, and suddenly it was galloping across the property at a furious pace, it's horrifying red eyes glowing ruby red, it's ghostly silver mane and tail flapping in the wind. It was weird how real it looked, but there was no doubt about it. The horse was a ghost.

Emma started to panic as she and Dean ran as fast as they could, Dean holding out his shotgun, trying to get closer so he could get a clear shot.

"Maggie! GET DOWN!" Emma shouted as they continued to run. Maggie froze in fear, looking at Emma, then over at the phantom horse before letting out a terrified scream. Just as the horse reached Maggie, it snorted and reared up, striking out at her, one of the horse's front hooves striking her in the arm, knocking her to the ground as Dean pulled the trigger. The horse disappeared, repelled by the rock salt and Maggie lay in a heap on the ground, terrified, but alive.

Emma ran to her side as Sam appeared, looking around to make sure the coast was clear, his shotgun drawn as well. "Oh my God, Maggie are you alright?" Emma asked, hugging the blonde girl.

She nodded, all the color gone from her face. "What was that?" She asked meekly.

"Don't worry, it's gone now." Sam said softly in a soothing voice. Sam was always good at calming down a petrified victim. Dean and Sam looked around making sure it wasn't coming back before they all made a run for the house, when Lynn came flying out the front door, dressed in her pajamas.

"What the hell is going on!?" She yelled, looking confused, angry, and scared. "What are you all doing here?!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Granger." Sam started. "We were watching your property to make sure nothing unusual happened…"

"Excuse me?" She spat, narrowing her eyes. Emma felt horrible, but things had been kicked into high gear, and they had to come clean about the phantom horse.

Emma sighed, taking a step forward, an arm still around Maggie. "Lynn, I know this is going to sound crazy, but Todd wasn't killed by Phantom." Emma started. "There's a ghost horse out there we think is trying to hurt your family."

"Have you lost your mind, Emma!?" Lynn questioned in disbelief.

"No, she hasn't lost her mind… this ghost horse just tried to kill your daughter. We managed to stop it for now, but it's going to come back." Dean said, stepping in. Lynn looked down at her daughter, who was clutching her hurt arm, her eyes wide with fear.

Lynn choked on a sob, going over to sit on the edge of the staircase. She buried her face in her hands. "Oh God, I'm being punished. This is all my fault." She cried.

Emma let go of Maggie for a moment, going to sit next to Lynn on the stairs. "What are you talking about Lynn?"

"I don't know why I didn't see it before." She said, looking up, tears streaming down her face. "First Todd, now it's trying to get Maggie. It's trying to make me suffer."

"Please Lynn." Emma said softly.

Lynn looked back at her and nodded. "About six months ago… I was driving home from Utah, and I was coming down our ranch road. It was pitch black out, I could barely see with the bright beams on." She began. "Out of nowhere, a girl on a horse ran out in front of my truck. I couldn't stop in time. The horse skittered to a stop and threw the girl, and I… I… hit her, and I think I clipped the horse." She explained. "I was so freaked out I fled the scene. The next morning I found out that she hadn't made it, and the horse had been taken back by the family. I've never felt so horrible in all my life."

Emma was too stunned for words. She wasn't even sure what to say; afraid it would come out wrong.

"I thought I was out of the woods until I found out the horse that I hit suddenly died last week; Right before Todd was attacked." She added, looking at the three of them. "It's been eating away at me… I have to turn myself in. I can't live with this any longer."

Emma nodded. "We can make sure the ghost doesn't try to hurt Maggie again."

Lynn nodded back. "Thank you" She told them all. She looked at Sam and Dean. "Feel free to take me in." She told them.

Sam shoved his hand in his pockets. "We're not really FBI." He admitted.

Lynn looked confused.

"They're friends of mine, Lynn." Emma spoke up. "We hunt these kinds of things…"

"Oh." She said meekly. "That's comforting." She added sarcastically.

"We looked for any articles about a palomino horse, but we never found one…" Sam pointed out.

"The article about the girl's death was in the paper, but they never really mentioned the horse. The family took the horse back to the ranch, and that was the last I heard until last week."

Sam nodded.

"What was the name of the family who had the horse?" Dean asked.

"The Teelans." Lynn replied. "Jim and Mary Teelan. They run Sunrise Ranch on the other side of Denver."

"Thanks Lynn." Emma replied, giving her a hug.

"No, thank you, all of you…" She replied, going over and hugging Maggie. "I don't know what I would have done. I have to make some phone calls I guess."

"You're welcome." Sam replied. "Well we're going to go. Call us if you see the horse again." Sam added.

Lynn nodded and the three of them headed back out the front door and began to walk for the Impala.

"Wow… I can't believe it. I mean, I never thought Lynn would be the kind to hit and run." She said shaking her head as they reached the car. She opened the back door and slid in, the boys in the front seat.

"Yeah that is kind of rough." Dean replied softly, starting the car. "At least she's turning herself in."

"I wonder what's going to happen to Maggie. Poor kid." She sighed heavily as they began to head back to the motel.

"Well let's get some sleep. We can go talk to the Teelans about this horse that died." Dean stated, pausing to yawn.

Sam and Emma nodded, Emma was so tired, she was basically falling asleep in the backseat now that the adrenaline from the whole ordeal had worn off.

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Hope you guys enjoyed!! :D Please continue to R&R!! Thanks Everybody!! More is on its way!! Oh and as soon as this story is finished, I am starting to plan a sequel!! :D

LiLcrueLangeL


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